Flexible support for street-light hangers.



v PATENTED APR'. 18, 1905.

J. STEVENSON, JR. FLEXIBLE SUPPORT FOR STREET LIGHT HANGERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18.1904.

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u) with Iliff/Lto 11' John te/fefwon r y 711,13 trry No. 787,410.PATENTED APR. 18, T905. J. STEVENSON, JR. FLEXIBLE SUPPORT FOR STREETLIGHT HANGERS.

APPLICATION EILED PEB. 18.1904.

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7l L19 dillo r1 y Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN STEVENSON, JR., OF PORTOBELLO, SCOTLAND.

FLEXIBLE SUPPORT FOR STREET-LIGHT HANGERS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 787,410, dated April18, 1905.

Application tiled February 18, 1904. Serial No. 194.202.

To all 1,071,011?, it 71u03/ concern.-

Beit known that l, JonN SrEvENsoN, Jr., electrical engineer, a subjectol the King of Great Britain, residing at 3 Durham road, Portobello,Scotland, have invented Flexible Supports 'for Street-Light Hangers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cable-supporting means for cables which in theperformance ol their 'function are caused to pass through curved orirregular-shaped inclosures or passages wherein it is desirable tomaintain the said moving cables out of contact with the stationary partsto protect said cables from undue wear.

My invention in its preferred embodiment includes a flexible supportingstructure adapted to be bodily inserted and preferably an.- chored in anirregular tubular or open passage through which a cable is caused topass, said structure having means whereby said rope or cable issupported in a manner to minimize frictional contact of said cabletherewith.

One utility of my invention is in connection with supporting mechanismor poles 'for streetlamps, wherein it is customary to thread thesupporting-cable of the lamp through a curved or swannecked portion olthe pole, from the mouth of which one end of the cable passes and isconnected with the lamp, said pole being equipped with means connectedwith the cable, whereby said lamp or other load may be raised andlowered. ln structures of this nature it is desirable that thesupporting-cable should be maintained out oi contact with the pole toenable the operator to raise and lower the lamp with comparative easeand also to prevent the cable from being undulyT worn. To effect asupport of this nature 'lor the cable, l desirably provide a flexiblelink-chain structure adapted to conform to varying contours of poles,which structure is desirably provided with antifriction mechanismdirectly engaging the supporting-cable of a lamp or other loadthroughout the irregular passage through which said cable moves, saidsupport also engaging the supply-cables at a plurality of points,thereby maintaining said cables out of contact with the pole throughoutthe curved portions thereof.

My invention in its preferred embodiment also includ es supporting meanswhereby electric conductors supplying said lamp may be supported in amanner to prevent contact of the same with the internal wall of the poleand also with the supporting-cable of a lamp.

My invention will be more fully described by reference to theaccompanying drawings and will be more particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

Figure 1 illustrates the swanneck or curve portion of a lamp column orpost, showing the device of my invention in connection therewith. Fig. 2is a section on line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line Y Y otFig. l. Fig. 4 is a view ol a blank from which are liormed members ol"the l'lexible supporting structure. Figs. 5 and 6 are side and endvelevations of the blank after the same has been pressed into the desiredform.

Like characters ol reference designate similar parts throughout thedifferent iigures of the drawings.

My invention in the embodiment shown comprises a composite link-chainstructure y, desirably formed of component link meinbers united byrivets. The swannecked or curved portion of a supporting-pole isillustrated, and there are also shown lamp supporting and supplyingcables. A cable l, to which a lamp (not shown) may be attached, is shownas passing through the pole a; and located substantially centrally withrespect to electric supply-cables i, i and g. The ilexible chain y, uponwhich said cables are supported, is desirably provided with anti-'friction-rollers O, spaced apart Jfrom each other, upon which rollersthe cable Z is desirably trained. Lateral supports c are provided iorthe supply-cables i, and a centrallydisposed recess is preferably'formed to accommodate the cable g. 'lhe construction of thecable-supporting sections of said VIlenible chain y will be understoodby reference to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, of which Fig. 4 illustrates a blankfrom which the chain portions carrying the cable-supports are formed.Said supportingsections desirably consist of blanks I of stamped metala, having endwisc-tapering projections c extending in oppositedirections vfrom the body portion of the blank and preferably in planesangular with respect to each other. Said projections c of eachsupporting-section are desirably united to form a continuous structureby means of link-sections lr, which are desirably riveted to saidprojections c at ai* in a manner to form a hinged uncture. Thecable-supporting sections are preferably assembled by uniting the formedblanks a adjacent to each other by means of connecting-rivets al"passing through the plates a near their upper ends and serving to spacesaid links apart from each other. Said links are held spaced apart neartheir lower ends by means of the shafts of the rollers o, whose ends arejournaled in said plates c. A partition l) is supported on the rivetsal", which forms, with the walls the recess for the cable g. The lateralsupports for the cables i are formed by integral pieces c, projectingfrom the plates a and centrally disposed with respect thereto. Saidprojections ye, as shown, are bent upwardly and outwardly,

thereby 'orming a curved seat for the cables i, as clearly seen in Fig.2. I desirably provide the said projections e with rounded flanges,which are shown rounded in order to present to the cables i a smooth andeven surface when the same are caused to move by the raising andlowering of the lamp or other load attached to the cable Z.

It will be seen by the structure just described that thesupporting-cable l and the conducting-cables i and q are separated Vfromeach other and that it would be impossible for the said cables duringthe raising and lowering of a lamp or weight to come in contact witheach other or with the inner wall of the pole x, thereby insuringprotection to the insulation of said cables g and i.

It will be seen Vfrom the foregoing that a flexible cable-supportingstructure of this nature will readily accommodate itself to curved orirregular-shaped passages and that the form herein shown is capable ofbeing used without alteration in variousfshaped poles or otherstructures. This is a great practical advantage, since it avoids thenecessity of manufacturing special supports for varying forms and stylesof lamp-posts and other structures in which this support may bc used. Itwill be obvious from the foregoing that inasmuch as a support of thisnature need coperatc with the cables only during their passage throughirregular or curved structures that the support is most desirably andgenerally anchored therein in order that the movement of the supportingand conducting cables will not alter its position. To this end ldesirably provide terminating sections m and p, which are adapted to beanchored by means of bolts m and p', which desirably pass through thewall of the pole It will be noted that a cable structure of this natureis capable of being lengthened or shortened to suit the length of thecurved or irregular passages in which it is located by adding ordisconnecting link-sections. When the desired length is obtained, it ismerely necessary to attach the terminals m and p, as clearly shown inFig. 1. Said terminal m is desirably equipped with apertures m2 for thepassage of the three cables i, i, and g, said apertures being located ina manner to spread the cables and. prevent them from coming in contactwith the supporting-cable Z.

hile I have herein shown and described a specific form of my invention,it will be obvious that changes may readily be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a street-lamp hanger the combination with a pole, of alamp-supporting cable, lamp-conducting cables, and a flexible supportAfor said supporting and conducting cables including a link chain havingrollers for said supporting-cable, said chain having lateral supportsfor said conducting-cables.

2. A link structure comprising lateral stamped members having taperedend proj ections extending in. angular planes with respect to eachother, top pieces projecting up and centrally disposed with respect tosaid tapered projections, bottom pieces bent upon themselves to Aformcable-supports, means whereby said lateral members maybe fastenedtogether, and connectil'lg-links joined to said tapering end projectionsto form a chain.

3. A link structure comprising lateral members having end projections,top pieces projecting upward 'from said lateral members, bottom piecesbent upon themselves to form cable-supports, means securing said lateralmembers together, and connecting-links uniting said end projections to`form a chain.

4. A chain-link comprising lateral members, each member being made froma blank having end pieces projecting in angular planes with respect toeach other, a top piece projecting up centrally from said plate, abottom piece bent in an upward and inward direction, and means wherebysaid lateral members are fastened together.

5. In a street-lamp hanger, the combination with a hollow pole having acurved or irregular-shaped portion, a link chain extending throughoutand supported in said curved portion of the pole, and rollers rotatablymounted in said chain. and spacedv apart at intervals throughout itslength, said rollers being adapted to carry a traveling sup--porting-cable.

6. In a street-lamp hanger, the combination with a pole having a curvedor irregularshaped portion, a link chain supported in and anchored uponsaid curved portion of the pole, and rollers rotatably mounted in saidchain and adapted to carry a traveling supporting-cable.

7. In a street-lamp hanger, the combination with a pole having a curvedor irregularshaped portion, a link chain supported by and anchored insaid curved portion of the pole and antifriction mechanism carried bysaid chain, said mechanism directly supporting a traveling cable.

8. A -flexible support for traveling cables,

, comprising a chain composed of separate links, and rollers mountedthereon for guiding the cable, said chain being provided Withfastening-links for anchoring it to a stationary support.

9. A flexible support for traveling cables, comprising a chain composedof separate links, means carried by said chain for guiding the cables,and fastening means for securing said chain to a stationary support.

Signed at Glasgow, Scotland, this 30th day of January, 1904.

JOHN STEVENSON, JUNR.

Vitnesses:

VILLIAM GALL, H, D. FITZPATRIGK.

